Tag Archives: home staging

Reviving Brown Cabinetry with Paint

A Beautiful White Laundry Room…goes from Dark Brown to White

 

painted white laundry room cabinets

I recently helped a client revamp her Laundry Room. Her dark brown cabinets were getting her down and she needed a change. White cabinetry was the answer – Annie Sloan Pure White Chalk Paint was the tool. It’s so important to make our more utilitarian spaces look beautiful and fun to be in. Most of us forget that (me included). When a room we labor in is beautiful, stylish and functional – we don’t mind being in there and we don’t mind (at least we mind it less!) doing work there.

Selling Your Home? It’s even more important to have work spaces in our homes look beautiful and a pleasure to be in. When selling, you want to keep the notion of the word “WORK” out of Laundry Rooms, Kitchens etc. I always tell clients to hide the paper towels, dish detergent, toasters and the like in kitchens…and the same goes for the Laundry Room.

Here were some inspirational rooms that I used to get the creative juices flowing…..

laundry room with potting table

via Pinterest

laundry-room- center island glass canisters

via Pinterest

white laundry room with baskets

 Pinterest

My client had attempted to paint the cabinets herself with some chalk paint but she was nervous because they weren’t coming out at all like she thought. Chalk Paint is kind of thick and if you put it on too thickly – it can crack and not look good at all. A phone call to me and my painting partner, Marty Wiesehahn – and she could relax and do other things rather than toil away painting cabinets, walls, moldings etc.

Here are some before shots…

before painting the cabinetry with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

client trying to paint with chalk paint on cabinets

 While Marty went to work fixing and priming the ceiling and painting the walls (with a gorgeous color I love to specify, Grey Owl by Benjamin Moore), I went to work on the cabinets. An issue that my client’s room had was that a few of her lower cabinets were white laminate – and the rest were dark wood. She wanted to have all the cabinets match (who wouldn’t? I didn’t ask her why some were white and the rest dark – I was only there to help!) The laminated cabinets had a slight shine to them – so we had to approximate that shine on the other cabinets as well as get the right color white! Luckily – the chalk paint (Annie Sloan’s Pure White) she started out with turned out to be a really good match. We had to do 4 coats for total coverage. For protection, I decided to use a wax that only had a slight, satin shine that would be a very close match to her laminate cabinetry’s shine.

Here are some photos of the process…..

during the painting of the cabinetry with Annie SLoan Chalk Paint

My client had a section of one wall framed – apparently she thought about installing a corkboard.  I suggested that we paint on a blackboard with some Graphite Chalk Paint. This was one of the pics I showed her for inspiration…

blackboard inspiration for a laundry room

Via Dear Lillie

She loved the idea…

 

I left her with a cute saying on her blackboard!

chalkboard sign pianting in a white laundry room

And, of course, I had to stage the laundry room for her. Naturally!

chalk painted laundry room

The most difficult (and frustrating at times) part of this job was that there had to be complete coverage (so, no distressing). We had to match as best we could the white laminate cabinets on the lower left side of the room. We applied 4 coats (plus a wet sanding) and if the underneath color came through – apply more paint! Then a clear wax coat…then a buffing. Tedious – but it was exactly what the client wanted.

 closeup pf white painted cabinetry in laundry room

If I can help you with your laundry room – or any other room you’re not happy with…just let me know. I am only a phone call away – 631 793-1315

chalkboard in laundryroom with white cabinetry

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Leave a comment | Posted in Annie Sloan's chalk paint, Benjamin Moore, Decorative Finishes, Home Staging, Makeovers, Paint, Tutorials, Uncategorized

How to Sell Your Home Fast: A List of Do’s and Don’ts

If you are going to sell your home this season, it’s a great idea to make your home look as beautiful, stylish and organized as possible. If you want to sell your home fast and for more profit, here are some top tips from me…

Kitchen 2

  • Look at the competing homes in your area to see how you “stack up.” Are the homes that are selling in your area updated? Granite countertops and new cabinets? All hardwood flooring? Freshly painted? You want to be in line with your competition (but better!)
  • Make sure that you have packed away everything that you need to take with you (that doesn’t need to be “displayed” in your current home/listing online). A clutter-free home looks great and sells fast.

167724-006

  • Check to see how “dated” your accessories are: If your home has doilies, bathroom seat covers and matching toilet rugs, vertical blinds, dusty faux florals, mirrored walls, dark paneled rooms etc. – it may be time for some changes and some updated accessories!

flr_ (8 of 30)-123 Newport St_2818930

  • Do you have wood floors hiding under wall-to-wall carpeting? It’s time to show your beautiful floors. Today’s buyers want hardwood flooring.

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  • Does your home have bold colors in flooring, walls and accessories: It may have been great for you and your family but think about how today’s buyers might think. Not everyone can “move in” with purple walls, teal carpets and floral wallpaper: Today’s buyer needs a neutral palette that can accommodate any kind/color of furnishings. They want to be able to move right in.

dining room after

  • Use color wisely – don’t overwhelm a buyer with it but employ it to bring attention to important characteristics of your home (fireplace mantels, large windows etc). Buyers will remember a home and its assets that way.

flr_ (10 of 30)-123 Newport St_2818932

  • Use a professional photographer for all of your photos. Great online photos will bring more potential buyers to your home. Over 90% of home searches today start online.
  • Look at (really study!) the homes in your neighborhood that sold quickly. Did they sell because of price or because of condition? If you don’t know how to do this – ask your realtor or look at a website like redfin.com. You can check to see how long a listing has been on the market, how many price reductions – and who the realtor is. This information is so invaluable to you. Please – do your homework before you list your home!!

Here’s some of my company’s other photos of homes we have staged. Most of these homes sold before or at the Open House – or in less than a month. Please call us to help you. Preparing and staging your home can make a significant difference in the sale of your home (quicker) and the profit (more than your competition!)

Don’t make the mistake of being penny-wise and pound foolish. Every day that your home is not presented well and staged properly could be costing you thousands upon thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

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2 Comments | Posted in Home Staging

Home Staging: Elmont NY Home Sells Even Before the Open House

a staged living room in Elmont NY
We staged this unfurnished home for a real estate investor that we had worked with before – and the home sold even before there was a public Open House. Here are some of the before pictures.

before renovation and home staging in Elmont NY
 
When staging a home for sale, I feel it’s very important to give a potential buyer a glimpse into what his or her life will be like if they buy the house. Giving the home (even very modest ones like this one) some elegant touches like a bar cart with drinks and accessories in the living room, allows the buyer to dream a little. Even if they never put a bar cart in the space once they move in – it’s important to fashion a beautiful lifestyle in the home.
a staged bathroom in Elmont NY
a staged Master Bedroom on Long Island (Elmont NY)
The layout was a little problematic – and that’s where I believe that home staging really can make a huge difference in whether a home gets purchased quickly or not. Narrow living rooms, small bedrooms, open floor plans – these kinds of spaces confound a potential buyer. If a buyer cannot figure out where to place their furniture and if they wonder if their furniture will even fit – most likely they will not make an offer.  It’s always best to stage an unfurnished home. It’s also important to rearrange and edit furnishings in a home for sale that has furniture. Most people have too many furnishings, accessories etc. in their rooms  and the spaces look cramped and small. Here are some other pictures from this project.
a staged kitchen in Elmont NY Long Island
kitchens and baths are key rooms to stage if you want to successfully sell your Long Island home
 
home staging on Long Island; staged living room
staged living room in Elmont Long Island
If you would love some help getting your Long Island or Queens home sold, please give me a call at 631 793-1315.
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Vacant Home Staging in Long Beach NY

 

cobalt blue bottles, pale blue kitchen towels and green tray for beachy decoration in kitchen

I was so happy to hear from Dan Adams of Real Living Innovations Realty in Wantagh, NY. Dan hired me several times when I was a fairly new home stylist, so I give him credit for helping to jumpstart my business. The first vacant property I staged for him sold in 1 day for list price! This was back when my inventory consisted of a cream love seat, a sofa, 2 faux TVs, some pillows, several end tables, two nightstands, a coffee table, a few console tables and occasional chairs – and some art and accessories. Hardly a small corner of a warehouse – to say the least! But, I put what resources I had to good use and with the money I made from that home staging – I bought more. (more…)

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2 Comments | Posted in Home Staging, interior design, Makeovers

A Beautiful, Well-Designed, Staged Home in Muttontown NY That Sold Quickly

Our sister company, Beautiful Staged Homes, created a wonderful, well-designed $3.5 million staged home in Muttontown NY.  Staging a home for sale is a bit different than designing a home for very personal use…but this newly constructed home showed a potential buyer how beautiful their life could be, if they purchased the home.  That’s what I think the purpose of home staging really is – it shows the buyer “how to live” beautifully, serenely – to live their “Best Lives.”  It is a beautiful property – and it “sold” within 3 weeks of being on the market!  So – in the higher-end market, staging can really make a property “a HOT commodity.” 

We created some beautiful decorative finishes in this home…

  • A gilded ceiling medallion in the dining room
  • A soft metallic sage green plaster in the powder room
  • A pearl stried finish on the dining room walls
  • Several aged finishes on the furnishings throughout the house

Here’s a link to more of the beautiful rooms in this home

Photo Album of Muttontown Home

For more information about beautiful home staging contact Linda Leyble at 631 793-1315.

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